Some fitness trends last, some lose strength

Hiring experienced fitness trainers tops list

Strength training — which has never placed lower than No. 6 on the American College of Sports Medicine’s Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends — remains the backbone of any program.

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Who doesn’t love the annual lists of what’s hot and what’s not? From mid-December until the first week in January, lists of hit movies, books, celebrities, foods and TV shows are showcased in the media.

Not to be outdone, the fitness industry publishes its own list of what’s hot and what’s not. For seven years running, the American College of Sports Medicine has taken on the task of compiling its annual Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends.

This yearly Top 20 list is more than just the product of a few fitness experts sitting around a table throwing out educated guesses on what’s going on in their industry. This year, the ACSM sent surveys to more than 29,000 fitness professionals around the world, asking them to identify trends in their businesses. More than 3,000 responses were received, which gives the list some clout.

The goal of the survey is to help distinguish between trends and fads. Fads, the ACSM points out, have a brief shelf life. Trends stand the test of time.

“The survey has been designed to confirm, reconfirm, or to introduce new trends (not fads) that have a perceived impact on the industry according to the international respondents,” said Walt Thompson of Georgia State University, who authored the ACSM study.

No. 1 on the 2013 list is the trend toward hiring experienced fitness professionals, which speaks to the increasing integration of fitness into our daily lives. Consumers expect a substantial return on their investment, which puts pressure on fitness clubs and corporations to hire fully qualified and certified instructors and trainers.

The interest doesn’t just lie in what trends make the ACSM list. What doesn’t make the list is also telling.

For the second year in a row, Pilates, stability ball training and balance training didn’t make the list of top trends. All three formerly held spots in the Top 10, which not only suggests they have lost some of their lustre with fitness consumers, but that they risk being labelled as fads.

Also absent from the latest survey are spinning and sport-specific training. As for what took their place, body weight training (No. 3), outcome measurements (No. 17) and circuit training (No. 18) are listed as new trends.

The idea of body weight training being new is an interesting concept, since pushups, pull-ups and squats have been mainstays in fitness programs for decades. But this more recent trend extends far beyond including a few pushups and planks into a workout. Many gyms and trainers are designing workouts where the only resistance used is the weight you carry around with you.

“Body weight exercises are a proven way to get and stay fit,” Thompson said. “In a time when many people are concerned with cutting expenses, body weight exercises are a great way to feel great and look toned without a big financial investment.”

The presence of outcome measurements reflects the emerging trend toward tracking fitness progress and results, much of which is done through smartphone apps, websites and tools like heart rate monitors and GPS-enabled watches. This particular trend is worth watching, as the number of fitness apps and tracking tools is multiplying weekly.

The inclusion of circuit training on the list is probably due to the popularity of CrossFit, which runs its participants through a workout of the day, designed as a circuit. Exercisers move from station to station performing a specific number of exercise repetitions, or exercising for a set time period until the workout is over.

Dropping down the list is Zumba, now at No. 12. It was No. 9 on the 2012 list, and was on a steady climb since being included in 2010.

“It appeared as though the popularity of Zumba was growing, with a rapid escalation between 2010 and 2012. Future surveys will determine if this is a trend or a fad,” Thompson stated.

Yoga has taken a hit, too. Yet despite being ranked 10th in 2008, 11th last year and 14th for 2013, with origins dating back 5,000 years it’s safe to say that yoga is no fad.

For the average consumer, this survey gives an idea of where their favourite fitness pursuit ranks against other popular programs. It’s also a great way to find new ideas for getting in shape. Also important to note is the sturdiness of certain trends — like strength training, which has landed no lower than sixth position since the first survey in 2007. Strength training remains the backbone of any fitness program, and shows no signs of losing its popularity in the years to come.

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